Bete Noir
by Belen09
Summary: The relationship between Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed fundamentally changed early in the mission to the Delphic Expanse - at least it must have because of the 'choices' that Archer made . . . a continuation of 'Descent and Retribution', a sort of 'canon plus' . . .
1. Chapter 1

OOOOO

(Malcolm Reed Personal Log) Date redacted - I had been on the bridge when Captain Archer and First Officer T'Pol came from the captain's ready room heading for the command center. The captain mentioned in passing that they were going to the command center in regards to something that Ensign Sato had found in the Osaarian cargo manifest that Ensign Mayweather had found on the sphere, and they headed into the room where Ensign Sato had been examining the information she had translated.

About that time I got a message from the Armory that my assistance was needed in a technical matter, and I left the bridge intending to be gone for just a short time; I left Ensign Mayweather in charge with instructions to contact me immediately if there was anything urgent as I wasn't sure how long the captain or T'Pol would be occupied.

After resolving the matter, I was walking in the direction of the lift back to the bridge - my journey was interrupted by Crewman Phillips, who was the security officer that I had posted in the corridor by the Brig holding the Osaarian pirate. He was agitated, having observed Captain Archer remove the prisoner from the brig, hold a phase pistol in an aggressive manner to the Osaarian's head and drag him down the corridor. The captain then ordered him to ignore his disregard of the breach of security; quite rightly, Phillips immediately went in the direction of the Armory to get help and inform them of the situation. I intercepted him as he approached the junction leading to the area.

I went back to the Armory and collected one of my more senior members of my staff. Setting aside any other concerns I had about the appropriateness of this situation, as the captain had been obsessed in the extreme about finding the Xindi weapon – I was actually quite concerned about the physical safety of Jonathan Archer. The Osaarian, though injured while attacking the ship, was not a small person, and this new-found willingness of the captain, and Commander Tucker to embrace tactical matters did not immediately translate into combat readiness.

Quickly I proceeded down the corridor; wondering where Archer might have taken the prisoner – there was damn little in this area which could be a rational choice for taking someone 'under guard' to . . . I approached the airlock and observed the captain standing in front of said airlock looking at the Osaarian who was on the other side of the hatch in the airlock itself.

At this moment – three things were very apparent. Jonathan Archer was demanding something of the prisoner – the airlock was decompressing – and my estimation of the character of the captain went seriously askew. I needed to deal with the most pressing matter first, and I said, with some urgency, "Captain!" He brusquely acknowledged my presence and I stated as clearly as possible that the airlock was decompressing. (I know that this seemed bloody obvious, but I have learned working in Security, that normally intelligent people do some of the most inane things, even innocently. This was hardly innocent however, and I tried to bring my superior's 'better nature' back to the fore.)

Any further action on my part was superseded by the pirate agreeing to whatever Captain Archer had demanded that he do – later I found out that he had provided codes allowing access to the actual computer database on their ship – Archer was convinced that important information was contained therein regarding the Xindi, including a copy of the database on a Xindi ship that the pirates had attacked.

Archer then ordered me to take the prisoner back to the Brig; an action that I agreed to most readily. With the aid of the crewman who had come with me, I dragged the Osaarian up, and away from the captain. The countenance on Jonathan Archer's face gave me pause; I felt that the best course of action was to get the Ossarian away from him, else he decide that almost asphyxiating the prisoner was not enough.

(When we had returned the pirate to his cell, I should have contacted Phlox to ascertain that he had not suffered permanent damage, but I was caught up at that point in the attempt to lure the pirate ship back to the sphere; after we had successfully retrieved the Osaarian computer's database, Captain Archer immediately ordered the prisoner removed to the sphere, and left him there . . . Expedience on my part suspended what should have been a normal course of events. I must be more diligent to maintain proper standards with regard to proper conduct, even in the face of 'superior' opposition.)


	2. Chapter 2

OOOOO

The slight dark-haired man sat at his computer desk; he stared at the screen, then at his hands, back to the computer screen – the words that he was trying to type unusually did not come easily, not from ill health or injury – those conditions he had overcome in the past, but rather because he had to think, actually think the words in his mind first. This was 'unheard of' for the man. He was known for his facility for expressing himself, his love of his native tongue, and his ability to coherently compress his thoughts and actions in a meaningful way. But not today . . .

Words, their meaning, and the transition from 'written' to 'thought' and back again were a struggle; the doctor had said it would improve with time. But Malcolm Reed had to put down his thoughts, his reactions to the situation while they were fresh in his mind, else they would 'fly away', never to be remembered. 'I must remember this,' he avowed – though at the moment 'avowed' was not a word he remembered . . .

It seemed like a long time ago, though he knew according to the calendar that he kept that it was scarce two weeks ago that that business with the pirate happened. Security had put the alien in the brig – a brig that he had designed and had built for the ship. They had anticipated this action prior to the mission to the Delphic Expanse; and the captain, although he struggled to assign that title to that individual for the moment, had done or committed, an act that Malcolm Reed, whether at the time or now, found extremely troubling . . . since then and the lately 'between time' when 'he had not been himself' was when his relationship to the captain had altered . . .

They had gotten information from the database of the Xindi ship that the Osaarian pirates had destroyed; and had traveled to the coordinates of the last planet that the ship had gone to prior . . . the words jumbled in his mind, and remembered only vaguely that he had been on the bridge when they arrived at the planet. The captain, Hoshi, First Officer T'Pol and himself had headed for the planet looking for a 'craft' that the Xindi had left . . .

He thought of a burned bodies, and scorched earth – and wondered for a moment if the site had caused his reaction to the heat. Someone asked if he was 'all right', and he said something about not liking the tropics . . . patently odd response thinking about it, as his parents had lived in Malaysia, but he felt so bloody warm . . .

It was what happened next that he had trouble 'coming to grips' about . . . his memory failed him – the world to which he usually was so firmly attached (and sometimes wished he could escape) fell apart, and left him stranded like a beached dolphin, - usually a master in his environment, attuned to and sensitive to any minute changes – now overwhelmed by a terrible sense of panic, and the thought that he had to find . . . something . . . it was this shifting that was the problem. He had lost control in his sense of self . . . what was he?

This isolation did not last long – he soon sensed others in his group – and a stranger . . . though for some not-reason – he was very aware that she was not of the group. Others – one who bigger than he and who he did not trust, and a female, also not mate – were with him. There was a struggle and the stranger was made to not move. The bigger one wanted the stranger to be taken with them on the way to Urquat – that was the name of the place they were going to.

Urquat. He took the word in as salvation. They were going to Urquat. Home. The word felt good – as though this sense of 'homeness want' was welcome, but unfamiliar . . . Quickly tied up the stranger – he knew that he was best at finding ways of doing this kind of thing . . . He and the bigger one carried the stranger between them – tied up so that it would not escape. Finally they rested and the bigger one – untied the stranger.

This action was upsetting. He knew, how he wasn't sure, that the stranger was cunning and like its kind strong, and would delay or stop the group finding Urquat. But the bigger one untied the stranger and it talked into a box thing which made sense of the sound that the stranger was making. There was no time for this nonsense; they had to find Urquat! And they went in the direction of where it was . . .

Food! He smelt food – and in his mind he knew, and could see the maggots inside the hard-shell; hungry, so hungry – it was if he had never eaten – so he sprang up the tree where the grubs nestled and brought down the treat. Suddenly the bigger one was upon him and knocked the pods from his hands. He snarled at the bigger one; and was knocked to the ground. The threat was frightening; the bigger one dominated him, and he knew that it had happened before – it was unfair. He had found the food. It was his . . .

The bigger one went to the female and gave her some of the maggots; and offered some to the stranger, who did not take the food . . . Maybe he could still get some food if the bigger one would let him – he was so very hungry . . . so he crawled over to the bigger one and offered submission (though he knew that he had found the maggots and that they were his . . . one had to accept this because he was always smaller . . .) The bigger one gave him a few maggots; and he was grateful.

(The Malcolm Reed shivered, but not from the cold, as he realized that this had always been the way. No matter the reason, everyone thought they had 'the right' to tell him what he should be doing and how he should think, and what he should be doing – his parents, his superiors, his friends – and because he competed in a way that they would never understand – life could be very tiring . . .)

What happened next was confusing . . . suddenly the group knew that they were not alone – that there were more strangers on the land, and that they would stop them from going to Urquat. He tried to flee, but the strangers cornered him and for a brief moment he felt pain, then nothing. When he awoke again he was in a place of metal and confinement. It thoroughly frightened him and he tried to find a way out . . .

(Dr. Phlox refused to show him the video of the creature that he had become while confined in the decon chamber. He said that it would be 'disturbing' and that he had no intention of letting him see it. Again he thought, 'No matter'. If he really wanted to see, he could gain access – after all, he was chief of security, at least until . . . the thought forced its way past his control . . . Major Hayes . . . could use this to his 'advantage'. Now the cold feeling turned to unpleasant heat and sweat.)

Malcolm Reed finished his report as poor as it was, and sat for a moment on his bed looking at the confined space of his quarters. He wanted to get out; to go almost anywhere on the ship, but he doubted that he should go to the armory – after all it was some of his own people, and the MACOs who had brought him from the surface. He wondered just for a moment how they had exactly done that . . . after he was stunned they must have put him in a biohazard bag, so maybe being stunned wasn't such a bad idea after all . . . that would be too much like a body bag he decided. Perhaps the Mess Hall. He was still hungry, and something must be decent to eat . . .

Except that, after picking a likely meal, it almost immediately made him extremely ill, and he reluctantly returned to Sickbay, and the tender mercies of Phlox . . .sometimes a good outcome comes with bad collateral effects . . . the Denobulan offered to let him eat some larvae – he slunk off and was met by Captain Archer – the man was always 'bigger' – and he mentioned that the other members of the away team were taking the day off . . . and perhaps he'd like to do the same - "Thank you, captain." Lieutenant Malcolm Reed replied, not entirely comfortable with the idea. Something in the relationship between himself and the captain had changed . . .

OOOOO

_I think the experience would have a 'long-lasting' effect . . ._


End file.
